Is Sunil Chhetri led football team ready for the Asian Cup?

There is no earthly way to write asentence on Indian football without an onset of heavy sighing. This has been the case for years now and it will remain the same come 2019 – despite the All India Football Federation (AIFF) trying its absolute best to scream sweet-nothings into the ears of anyone who would care to listen at this point.

Yes, India are ranked 97th in the world. And yes, they were ranked 173rd a couple of years back. By playing against weaker countries, India have managed to boost their presence on a flawed Fifa World Rankings system – once again hoodwinking people into thinking that the country’s football is going places.

The dream of participating in a World Cup has always been the lowhanging fruit that the AIFF uses to distract people from the fact that no actual, tangible improvements have surfaced in Indian football. Recently, AIFF president Praful Patel said that the 2026 edition of the World Cup would be the first time India would likely play in football’s biggest tournament. He said the same for the 2018 World Cup and the 2022 World Cup. It’s almost as if each claim from the president is carefully worded to toe the line between the impossible and the ridiculous. That line is hope and it’s that very hope that emboldens authorities to make statements that can only be termed as ‘alternative facts’.

To give some context, India have appeared for the AFC Asian Cup, the continental variant of the Euros, only three times in the past. The Sunil Chhetri/Sandesh Jhingan-led team will be playing in the Asian Cup for the fourth time starting on January 5th. They are in a particularly tough group that has perennial World Cup qualifiers United Arab Emirates along with Bahrain and Thailand. India will face Thailand first.

Another aim that has been put forth by the AIFF is to ensure that India become a top-eight team in Asia. The problem with this is that currently, according to Fifa rankings, India are 15th among Asian teams. This ranking is distorted in any case because of the country playing weaker opposition in the first place. That distortion is most likely going to become glaringly obvious if the country doesn’t get out of the group stages at the Asian Cup. A feat that could be avoided on paper considering India have the chance to qualify for the next round by being one of the four best third-placed teams.

A look at the domestic situation in India paints a clear picture of how and where things went wrong. There are seven I-League clubs that are in open rebellion against the AIFF. They have recognised the systematic destruction of their clubs that is being carried out in order to push with the plan to make the Indian Super League India’s primary domestic league. It’s clear that this year will see East Bengal enter the ISL and Mohun Bagan follow suit, provided they get sponsors involved. Once that happens, all bets are off with the ILeague.

The ISL clubs are not without problems of their own, haemorrhaging money and gaining no clear fan following or revenue streams in return; revenue streams are clogged up by broadcasters who clearly get to eat the larger chunk of the pie.

As things stand, bleak is the word that comes to mind. A poor showing at the Asian Cup might actually be a blessing in disguise. Shameful exits might lead to a top-to-bottom review and substantial changes might become the norm. But instead of accountability and heads rolling, losses in Indian football lead to farcical press releases on ‘fighting displays’. Expect a few of those to come out in the next few weeks to get the ball rolling for 2019.

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